Decorative side bar for a motor vehicle

ABSTRACT

A side bar made according to this invention includes a rail that forms a channel which receives a clip. The clip is moveable along the channel to any vehicle or step mounting point desired. Once in its desired location, the clip helps to secure the rail to the bracket. When the rail is secured to a vehicle frame, the rail hides the vehicle mounting brackets from view and, when fully assembled with a step, hides the step mounting bracket from view. Because the mounting brackets are not visible, and because the step is complementary in shape to the rail, the rail gives the appearance of supporting the step.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO PENDING APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/147,641, filed Jun. 27, 2008, which is hereinincorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of vehicleaccessories and, more particularly, to automotive side bars withadjustable vehicle steps for assisting entry into high road clearancevehicles.

Vehicle steps of various types are on the market as after-marketaccessories. One of the problems with currently available vehicle stepsis that they are one piece devices that are not adjustable as to wherelongitudinally on the vehicle the step must be attached. Also, thecurrently available vehicle steps do not allow for easy attachment ofmultiple or additional steps along the side of the vehicle. Further,currently available steps do not allow the user to select from variouswidths and heights of steps that can be used together on a vehicle.Additionally, most of the steps currently available secure the stepassembly to the decorative side bar. The side bar is often too weak tosupport the force exerted on the step assembly when stepped upon by aheavy person.

An object of the present invention is to provide a side bar that allowsa vehicle step to be positioned at any point desirable along the lengthof the side bar. Another object of this invention is to provide a sidebar that can accommodate multiple step assemblies. A further object ofthis invention is to provide a side bar that can accommodate stepassemblies of different heights and widths in order to meet the needsand desires of the consumer and to match the dimensions of the vehicleon which the step is to be employed. Yet another object of thisinvention is to provide a side bar with adequate mounting support forthe step when the step is under load. Still yet another object of thisinvention is to provide side bar that hides the mounting structure fromview and gives the appearance that the step is being supported by thedecorative rail of the side bar.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A side bar made according to this invention includes a decorative railthat forms an open channel and is mounted to the frame of a high roadclearance motor vehicle such as a pick-up truck or a motor home. Thechannel receives a clip that may be positioned at any point along therail where a step is desired to be mounted. The clip receives thefastening means for securing the rail to the mounting bracket for thestep. The clip may also receive fastening means for a bracket used tosecure the rail to the vehicle frame. Preferably, the step mountingbracket is secured to the rail in combination with the vehicle mountingbracket. However, there is no requirement for such a pairing. Becausethe rear wall portion of the channel forms a slot, it prevents the clipfrom exiting the channel rearward when the rail is secured to themounting bracket. A step, which preferably has a shape complementary tothe rail, may then be secured to the bracket. The rail and step combineto hide the bracket from view, thereby giving the appearance that thestep is supported by the rail.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view of a preferred embodiment of a side bar made accordingto this invention and installed on a motor vehicle. The decorative railof the side bar conceals from view the brackets used to mount the sidebar to the vehicle as well as the horizontal portion of the bracketsused to secure each step in position forward of the rail.

FIG. 2 is a view of the side bar taken along section line 2-2 of FIG. 1.The decorative rail may be any shape preferable but forms a channel thathas a slot running lengthwise between each end. The slot receives a clipthat is moveable within the channel to a desired mounting point. Theclip, in turn, receives a fastener used to secure the rail to the stepmounting bracket and, preferably, the step mounting bracket to thevehicle mounting bracket.

FIG. 3 is a view of the side bar taken along section line 3-3 of FIG. 2.In the secured and fastened position, the brackets and clip are drawntightly against the slotted rear wall portion of the channel. A step,which is mounted to the horizontal portion of the step mounting bracket,hides this portion of the bracket from view and gives the appearancethat the decorative rail is supporting the step.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the side bar of FIG. 1 and illustrates thepreferred means of securing together the vehicle mounting bracket, thestep mounting bracket, and the decorative rail. The clip, which ispreferably U-shaped, is sized so as to be easily inserted through theslot and into the channel formed by the decorative rail when orientedparallel to the slot but captured by the rear wall of the channel andprevented from escaping when oriented perpendicular to the slot.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the side bar of FIG. 1 and illustrates theattachment of one step to the decorative rail. The vehicle mountingbracket is not shown. Because the clip is moveable within the channel toa desired mounting point, the step may be positioned and mounted at anyplace preferable along the rail.

FIG. 6 is an exploded bottom view of the side bar of FIG. 5. A recessedportion on the underside of the step in combination with the lower frontedge of the step serves to hide the horizontal portion of the mountingbracket from view.

FIG. 7 is an assembled bottom view of the side bar of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the side bar of FIG. 1 and illustrates thevehicle mounting brackets being positioned at any place required orpreferable along the decorative rail. The vehicle mounting bracket maybe used alone or in combination with the step mounting bracket (seee.g., FIG. 2).

FIG. 9 is an exploded rear view of the vehicle mounting bracket of FIG.1 and its relationship to the clip and decorative rail. The stepmounting bracket is not shown.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Preferred embodiments of side bar for a motor vehicle will now bedescribed by making reference to the following elements illustrated inthe drawings:

10 Side bar 20 Decorative rail 21 Upper wall surface of 22 22 Front wall23 Lower wall surface of 22 24 Channel 26 Slot 28 Rear wall 30 First end31 End cap 32 Second end 34 Clip 36 Bolt 38 Nut 40 Vehicle mountingbracket 42 Vertical run 46 Bolt 50 Step mounting bracket 52 Vertical run54 Horizontal run 56 C-channel 60 Step 62 Rear wall surface 64 Top wallsurface 66 Bolt 68 Nut 70 Landing area for a user's foot 72 Front wallsurface 74 Bottom surface/recessed portion

Referring to the drawings and first to FIGS. 1-3, a preferred embodimentof a side bar 10 made according to this invention includes a decorativerail 20 that, when installed on a motor vehicle, hides from view thevehicle mounting brackets 40 used to connect the side bar 10 to theframe or body of the motor vehicle and a vertical run 52 of the stepmounting brackets 50 used to secure a step 60 forward of the rail 20 ata desired location along the rail 20. Vehicle mounting bracket 40, whichis preferably an L- or hockey-stick-shaped bracket, is secured to theframe of the vehicle using an appropriate fastener such as one or morebolts 46. Step mounting bracket 50, which is also preferably an L-shapedbracket, is secured to one of the vehicle mounting brackets 40 toprovide effective support for step 60 when under load. In a preferredembodiment, step mounting bracket 50 includes a c-channel 56 thatreceives the vertical run 42 of vehicle mounting bracket 40 (see FIGS.5-7) and places the vertical runs 42, 52 of each mounting bracket 40, 50in communication with one another so that, when secured to one another,bracket 40 provides added support to the step mounting bracket 50 andprevents or limiting any side-to-side (or rotational) movement of stepmounting bracket 50.

Decorative rail 20, which may have a salt-box style front wall 22, formsa channel 24 having a lengthwise slotted portion or slot 26 runningalong the rear wall 28 of the rail 20 and extending between the firstand second ends 30, 32 of the rail 20. An end cap 31 may be used to capeach end 30, 32 of the rail 20. Slot 26 receives a clip 34 for helpingto secure rail 20 to the mounting brackets 40, 50 alone (see e.g., FIGS.6 & 9) or in combination (see e.g. FIGS. 2-4). Clip 34 is insertedthrough slot 26 into channel 24 and moved to any mounting pointdesirable along the length of the rail 20. The slot 26 and clip 34 aresized relative to one another so that when clip 34 is orientedsubstantially parallel to slot 26, the clip 34 passes through theslotted portion into (or out of) channel 24, but when clip 34 isoriented substantially perpendicular to slotted portion 26, the clip 34is prevented from passing through the slotted portion 26. Once clip 34is positioned at the intended mounting point, a threaded bolt 36 ispassed through the bracket 40 or 50 (or both) and through clip 34. A nut38 receives threaded bolt 36. Although shown as a separate component,nut 38 may be integral to clip 34. As the threaded bolt 36 and nut 38are tightened, clip 34 draws tightly against the rear wall 28 above andbelow slot 26 and secures the rail 20 to the brackets 40, 50.

Step 60 provides a planar landing area 70 for a foot of a user steppingonto the step 60 to gain access to the vehicle. Step 60 is secured byappropriate fasteners, such as bolts 66 and nuts 68, to the horizontalrun 54 of step mounting bracket 50. Preferably, step 60 is shapedcomplementary to the decorative rail 20 so that when step 60 is securedto step mounting bracket 50, step 60 gives the appearance of beingconnected to and supported by the rail 20. Note that side bar 10 allowsfor different types, widths, and heights of step 60 to be used in asingle vehicle application. Furthermore, because of the mountingarrangement provided by brackets 40, 50 and clip 34, the rail 20 or step60 may be easily replaced if damaged.

In a preferred embodiment, step 60 has an upward sloping top wallsurface 64 that merges or blends into the sloping upper wall surface 21of the front wall 22 of rail 20 and a downward sloping rear wall surface62 that runs substantially parallel to the opposing lower wall surface23 of front wall 22. The front wall surface 72 may extend below thebottom surface 74 of the step 60 in order to hide the horizontal run 54of step mounting bracket 50 from view.

While a side bar for a motor vehicle has been described with a certaindegree of particularity, many changes may be made in the details ofconstruction and the arrangement of components without departing fromthe spirit and scope of this disclosure. A side bar made and usedaccording to this disclosure, therefore, is limited only by the scope ofthe attached claims, including the full range of equivalency to whicheach element thereof is entitled.

What is claimed is:
 1. A motor vehicle side bar for installation on amotor vehicle below a rocker panel of the motor vehicle, the motorvehicle side bar comprising: a decorative rail having a slot locatedopposite a front face of the decorative rail and extending the length ofthe decorative rail; a clip positionable within the slot of thedecorative rail; a step having a rear face complementary in shape to thefront face of the decorative rail but being a separate structure apartfrom the decorative rail; a mounting bracket; the clip being moveablealong the slot to a desired mounting bracket mounting point for the stepand receiving fastening means for releaseably securing the decorativerail and the step to the mounting bracket; a rear wall portion of thedecorative rail lying between the clip and the mounting bracket andpreventing the clip from exiting the slot when the decorative rail isreleaseably secured to the mounting bracket; the decorative rail and thestep each when mounted to the mounting bracket having the front face ofthe decorative rail in contact with the rear face of the step andconcealing the mounting bracket from view and giving an appearance thatthe decorative rail and not the mounting bracket supports the step.
 2. Amotor vehicle side bar according to claim 1 further comprising thedecorative rail having a portion of said front face arranged oblique toat least one of a top surface and a bottom surface of the decorativerail.
 3. A motor vehicle side bar according to claim 1 furthercomprising the decorative rail being a non-cylindrical shaped rail.